Tennis legend Andre Agassi is taking up pro pickleball
Andre Agassi is trading his racket for a paddle. The tennis Hall-of-Famer will make his pro pickleball debut at the US Open Championships alongside phenom Anna Leigh Waters. He’s not alone—more tennis stars are entering the world’s fastest-growing sport.
Tennis Hall-of-Famer Andre Agassi, a former #1-ranked player who retired in 2006, is set to compete in the mixed pro division at the US Open Pickleball Championships alongside Anna Leigh Waters, the top-ranked pickleball player in the world. It’ll be his first pro pickleball appearance.
The event, which draws crowds of ~50,000 each year, kicks off Saturday.
Not his dad’s racket sport
The 54-year-old Agassi may hate tennis—but he’s been quite active in the pickleball community. He’s participated in made-for-TV pickleball exhibitions with other former tennis players like John McEnroe, and recently released his own pickleball paddle with JOOLA.
He’s not the only pro to make the switch. Former Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard—one of many pro tennis players to swap out their rackets for paddles—is entering her second year of pro pickleball.
- Top players, like Waters (who’s been a mainstay in the sport since she was 12 years old; now 18), can take home millions from salary and endorsement deals.
- In fact, pickleball players now make more money than WNBA and NWSL players.
Zoom out: Pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in America in 2024 for the fourth consecutive year, according to USA Pickleball—much to the chagrin of hardcore tennis enthusiasts and HOA board members everywhere, for whom the loud “thwacks” serve as a constant reminder of what’s been lost (court space and peace & quiet).
